It's March: Darling Dahlias & Other Garden Musings
Just like every festival organiser on the planet right now, I’m in planning mode. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about my lineup for this year’s beds. For my headline act, I always look to Dahlias. They are my showstoppers, they are showbiz of the flower world. I liken them to the glamorous Moulin Rouge dancers with their feathers and tassels - I love them.
It isn’t just the endless variety to choose from, it is their penchant for late Summer bloomage that makes them perfect for your beds this year. I speak to a lot of clients who share similar tales of the glut in blooms once the Spring show is over. It’s all too common for keen gardeners to blow their green budget on bulbs in the Autumn to ensure a vibrant display of daffs, tulips, hyacinths and crocuses when the weather turns in Spring. But, we often find ourselves with a glut in blooms after this foliage browns.
So let’s fill those green pockets with a blooming marvellous display of colour! Grab yourself a cup of tea, a blanket and sit outside in the garden with your favourite garden catalogue and peruse at will.
Work With Your Garden Budget & Space
If you’re tight on both, then we must choose wisely. Small, compact and frequent flowering Dahlias will do the trick to bring the wow factor to your patio or outdoor nook. They’re not heavy in foliage and the flower heads are dainty in comparison to dinner-plate-faced cousins. The best dahlia tubers for small gardens include:
Bishop of Canterbury (pink and petally)
Bishop of Auckland (vibrant red)
Wizard of Oz (a tight ball of loveliness)
Mr Frans (corals and pinks)
If you have both ample bed space and a healthy budget then bring on the dancing girls! My favourites are:
Urchin (cerise pink and urchin-like)
Cafe Au Lait (a blousy, creamy pink)
Indian Summer (bold zingy red, spiky with soft edges)
Gardening Jobs To Do In March
Now is the time to move shrubs and plants around the garden, while the weather is cool and the ground isn’t sodden. This encourages the roots to forage downwards for moisture, anchoring themselves in by the time the ground warms up in June - July.
Edging in Spring is a must for a perfectly straight execution.